BAKU: Speech of Aliyev at meeting with residents of Oghuz District

AzerTag,Azerbaijan
Aug 19 2005

ILHAM ALIYEV: “OUR PURPOSE IS TO TRANSFORM AZERBAIJAN IN A RICH,
POWERFUL STATE, AND WE SHALL ACHIEVE IT”

SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV AT THE MEETING
WITH RESIDENTS OF OGHUZ DISTRICT
[August 19, 2005, 17:04:30]

Dear residents of Oghuz!

Dear sisters and brothers!

I cordially welcome all of you. The elder said here it’s a first
visit of Azerbaijan’s leader to Oghuz. I consider it as significant
day in my life because each region, each area of Azerbaijan is
Homeland to me, is my Native land, and my purpose consists in
maintenance of development of each region, each area, and each
village of Azerbaijan. That they developed owing to work spent today
in Azerbaijan on creation and an accomplishment even more.

I never divided districts on greater and small. The population of
district can be numerous or small. It what difference has no value.
All areas of Azerbaijan for me are equal. I am very much pleased,
when I see development of our regions when there is a work on an
accomplishment and creation.

As you know, the State Program of social and economic development of
regions accepted by us one and a half year ago is realized. On a
regular basis making trips to all regions, I get acquainted with
execution of the given program, personally I am interested, as it is
carried out, as Azerbaijan should receive an all-around development.
All regions of Azerbaijan should develop, and opportunities for this
purpose are. Our economy becomes stronger, grows, it is possible to
tell, the highest in the world rates.

It allows us, using additional financial resources to expand our
activity, to achieve the further acceleration of creative work spent
by the country. For one and a half year it is made much. On it was
already informed. If to take into account a population of the country
opening of 260 thousand new workplaces is not having analogue in the
world a parameter .

At the same time there are also problems, I build the activity first
of all in a direction of the decision of the given problems. There
are the general for our country of a problem, there are problems of
each area, village. It is necessary for us to deal with all problems.
The main task – to eliminate problems. Poverty, unemployment are the
problems causing our concern. Owing to the work done for last years
these problems also find its decision..

The adopted programs, their successful execution, the done work allow
to speak that all problems facing to us will be solved. For the
present there was no such problem from which we would not consult.
All forthcoming questions find the decision in the form of the
program, the uniform concept, and purposeful policy. What a problem
we put before ourselves, as in external, and internal policy, in our
strategy of economic development, realization of oil strategy – in
all spheres, all of them have found its decision.

In that case, certainly, the confidence grows in people. People see
all these positive changes and actively participate in the decision
of problems. Only it by we can solve the given problems. Unity of
authority and people – a primary factor.

Normal development of Azerbaijan, preservation and strengthening of
stability and order in the country, a policy of integration of
Azerbaijan in the world community, our strategy of economic
development – all these factors only in aggregate presume to achieve
transformation of Azerbaijan into the rich, powerful country.

For achievement of it we have all opportunities. There is a political
will, our policy gets support of people. The geographical position of
Azerbaijan and its growing authority on region allow us to protect
our national interests even more confidently.

The rich oil potential of Azerbaijan and successful execution of oil
strategy of Heydar Aliyev allow us to get rid also in the further of
financial difficulties. Azerbaijan possesses powerful personnel
potential, human potential, and the fine nature, natural resources.
Under these conditions we by all means should achieve huge progress
of our country, its further economic strengthening. Pay attention,
rates of our economic growth observed recently are not present in any
country of the world.

In the first 6 months of this year our economy has increased
approximately for 17 percent. The budget in comparison with the last
year has increased for 46 percent, and in following year will
increase for 50 percent. In following year our budget, that is the
means acting in treasury of the country, will make 3 billion 200
million dollars. All these means will serve improvement of well-being
of Azerbaijan people. Roads will be laid, power stations are
constructed, solved problems on water and gas supply, and schools are
constructed, wages are increased, pensions, grants of students are
raised. It is only initial stage. From the beginning of next year the
oil pipeline of Baku-Nbilisi-Ceyhan, being the largest our economic
success and result of oil strategy of Heydar Aliyev begins to
function. It will bring to our country the means estimated in
billions of dollars.

That is we are waited with the light future. I with greater optimism
look ahead, because I know and I see, that waits Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan will strengthen the internal potential. We become stronger
in regions. Certainly, force of our influence that will allow us to
protect our national interests more reliably will increase also. Will
find the decision and all other questions.

Great value in this sense represent the forthcoming parliamentary
elections wich will transparent, fair and assist our policy of
integration into the world community. Azerbaijan could take a worthy
place in the world community. We wish to strengthen this place to
achieve even more reliable maintenance of our national interests.

We have greater prospects in an agriculture, in the field of tourism,
in the further work in this direction should be spent and in Oghuz
district. Recently has started to function “Agro leasing”, that will
allow to provide peasants with techniques and fertilizers up to the
mark that they were engaged in an agriculture even more effectively.

I try to pay in the activity attention to all branches, to be engaged
in all spheres. Army construction, foreign policy, settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, economic development,
opening of new workplaces, the decision of social questions,
improvement of a social status of refugees and IDP’s, the decision of
social problems of disabled veterans of the Karabakh war , increase
of wages and pensions , creation of a social infrastructure,
construction of power stations, lining of roads – all this already
finds the reflection in a daily life in the form of the program. In
some years when the accepted programs will be successfully executed,
in Azerbaijan there will be no serious problems. I very much would
like, that our country became more powerful and rich. That each
citizen lived easy, has been provided by work, received high wages
and grows up for the future remarkable young generation, brought up
youth in patriotic spirit. In this case our country will solve all
forthcoming problems. I wish all of you successes in this business.

Dear residents of Oghuz. I express you the deep respect and love. I’m
here for the first time. However, earlier I passed from here, on
these roads. But for the first time directly I communicate here, in
Oghuz with it’s inhabitants. Once again I wish you kind health,
successes in affairs.

Thanks.